PoetrySociety, Power & Modern Life

Steak and Survival | A Reflection on Comfort and Conflict

By 29 July 2025July 28th, 2026No Comments1 min read
painting of a Black man eating steak and chips in a bombed city.

steak and conflict

A stark poem contrasting the simple comfort of a meal with the brutal reality of war, hunger and survival. From the fear of fighting for basic food to a quiet moment of gratitude over steak and chips, the poem reflects on privilege, mortality and the fragile line between comfort and conflict.

never in my life
would i thought
me running and fighting
for food like manna
dropping from the sky.
you can get shot
you can get stabbed.
all for what?
bread laced with blood.
i’m an architect.

my eyes pricked up,
midway through the podcast,
about to tuck into
steak and chips,
i whispered: لحمد لله
thank you, LORD —
this is it.


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